Break Down These Walls
by Z0mbiKitty
Summary: Born Factionless, adopted into Erudite, test results Divergent, chooses to be Dauntless - Will Ayda succeed over the rest, or return to where she came? Eric doesn't make the ride easy for her, but she certainly doesn't make it easy for him either. [Rated M for goodies] [Love Story] [Eric/OC]
1. Aptitude

"Why must you waste your time with absurd hobbies?" her father's voice echoed through the nearly empty room. She let out a quiet sigh as she caught a small throwing knife in her hand.

"It's not absurd," she retorted. She lay on her bed, on her back, head resting on a soft pillow.

"You're an Erudite. Act like it." His last words receiving an eye roll. As much as she despised the criticizing of her parents, she had to remember how lucky she really was. Although not entirely embraced, her parents did, to an extent, get that she was different. They gave her more wiggle room, unlike the rest of the Erudite parents of her friends.

She held the blade above her head, twisting it, letting the light of her room reflect into her eyes. "I am _smart_, I am a _perfect_ little _Erudite_ child." She smiled to herself as she threw the blade with such force that it stuck into the ceiling with a thud. It hung by it's tip just above her head and she looked at it, wondering different things, imagining, with no concern of it falling. She reminisced on the day that she got the knife. She decided to sneak out of her house one sleepless night and take a long stroll where she ended up in the Dauntless area. She bumped into a girl named Vanessa, who wasn't all that mad about meeting her. She was a former Erudite herself, so she welcomed Ayda quickly. They spent the night talking about what they hated and what they loved, and Ayda practiced some of the many things Dauntless liked to see in it's people, one being knife throwing.

An unexpected loud screech broke her thoughts like a shattering mirror. "Ayda! What did I tell you?"

"It's just a hole. You can easily fix it."

"Why can't you go study like your friends? You rather spend your time doing nothing, wasting your life away," he mother began.

"I hear the same speech every day, you do realize this, right?" Ayda lifted her torso from the bed and swung her feet over the edge. "If you both didn't care so much about what people thought, you wouldn't care what _I_ did with my time." A sudden thump came from beside Ayda. The look on her mother's face said it all. Ayda looked up and noticed the ceiling no longer held the knife, which left a small hole. She lowered her sight to the space next to her, where the knife had fallen and made a small tear in her blanket. "I can sew it, it's no big deal."

Her mother took a deep breath and looked at the time, "goodness, Ayda, you're going to be late for your aptitude test!"

"That's _today_? Shit.."

"Would it kill you to substitute your language?"

"It might, mother. Do you want me to find out? What if I actually die?" she spoke sarcastically as she got up from the bed, heading towards her closet. She opened the door and looked at herself in the mirror that hung on the back of it. Her skin was light, almost pale, but it had a glow and softness to it. Her lightly curled, dark brown hair framed her face, making her blue eyes pop. Her body was petite but strong, with curves in all the right places.

She looked at her blue hooded jacket and black pleated skirt that hit just above her knee. No one was really a fan of the dark color; most thought it was very Dauntless, which ultimately made her smile while making them cringe. She wanted to be Dauntless, and that is what her decision would be come time for choosing, no matter what her test results were. Why? Because they're the most free- as free as it gets anyway. She could see herself in all of the factions, but the ridiculous rules and restrictions would just hold her back.

Ayda grabbed a pair of black flats and put them on quickly, running passed her mother and opening the entrance to their home. "Be back later!" she yelled as she bolted out the door. She jogged, something that's usually frowned upon when you're in a skirt, but time waits for no one.

She made it to a building which had five different lines of people, and she knew just where to go - Erudite always had to wear some piece of blue clothing. She was so sick of seeing blue everywhere. It's bad enough to have to wear it yourself, but to see everyone else wearing it too makes it worse.

It wasn't long before they were inside the building, being told about the aptitude test they were about to take.

"..It is your right, tomorrow, at the Choosing Ceremony, to choose _any_ of the five Factions regardless of your test results. However, once the choice has been made, there will be no change permitted."

* * *

Ayda stood before a door as it opened. She stepped through, entering a private room. It was small, dimly lit with a large mirrored wall. There was a woman setting up. She had dark hair, with one side pulled back, making it appear shaven. Her structure was tall and thin, with a tanned complexion - she may have been of the Hawaiian culture.

"Hello," Ayda said as she inched deeper into the room.

"Sit down," the woman said, a small attitude in her voice. Ayda sat in the large, cushioned seat.

"My name is Tori. I'll be administering your test. You'll be offered a series of choices to test your aptitude for each Faction, until you get one result," she began as she gently pushed Ayda to lean back on the chair, positioning the objects that surrounded her head. "I wouldn't sweat it. 95% get the Faction of their origin." She handed Ayda a small glass, with a funnel of purple liquid inside.

"This honestly looks too awesome to drink," Ayda said as she examined the liquid in the uniquely-shaped glass. "Here goes nothing- or everything." She tilted her head back and downed the liquid, wiping her lip of the excess. She instantly began feeling the effects of it and found herself in a brightly lit room.

_The room stretched farther than the eye could see, and off in the distance was a little girl. Ayda ran over to her, noticing she was all alone._

_"What are you doing out here all alone?" Ayda asked._

_"You have to choose." She said in a low voice._

_"No, I think you're supposed to help me out here." The girl disappeared._

_Ayda looked in every direction. Nothing. The room turned cold and dark and the little girl was off in the distance again, only this time she was cornered by a large, shadowed man. Although frightened, Ayda approached, ready to fight._

_"Hey, asshole!" she yelled. The man turned and the girl was gone again. He appeared larger and began to step towards Ayda. She swallowed and stood her ground as he came closer. As he reached for her she lunged at him, vanishing in mid air._

Ayda was back, and Tori didn't seem very happy.

"Get up, let's go," she said, pulling Ayda by the arm.

"What about my results, what did I get?" she asked, genuinely curious at this point.

"Come on," she pulled her towards the door and faced her, "you're going to tell your family that the serum made you sick and that I sent you home."

"But that didn't happen- what was my result?" Ayda asked, growing furious.

"Erudite." Ayda furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief. "And Dauntless, and Abnegation, Amity, and Candor." Her eyes widened, in even more disbelief.

"Your results were inconclusive."

"Is that...even possible? I-"

"It is. It's just _extremely_ rare." She looked with shock and fascination at Ayda. "They call it Divergent."

"W-Well what do I do? I mean, I know what I want, but what do I-"

"You can't tell anyone. Not your friends, not your family, _no one_. Your result is Erudite."

At this point, Ayda was confused. Before she came here she could care less about what her result was. But now that there was no result, it made her want it.

Before she could even speak, Tori pushed her out of the room and closed the door without a word.

* * *

Ayda sat at the table, eating dinner with her mother and father.

"I could barely wait to ask, Ayda. How did your test go?" her mother questioned, forcing a pit to form in her stomach at the incident.

"Yeah, um, it was ok. I got pretty sick from the serum and was sent home." She pushed a piece of broccoli with her fork and refused to make eye contact.

"Sick? So what does that mean? Did you get your result?" she dug deeper.

"Yeah, I mean, I finished the test. My result was Erudite." Ayda looked up from her plate at the two who wore shocked faces.

"What?"

"Well, it's just, you-"

"Came from a Factionless family, I know. Aren't we all surprised today?" Ayda said, frustrated. "I think I'm going to go to bed early. I still don't feel too great," she lied. She got up, cleaned her dish and went straight to her room to be alone.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! I have only seen the movie, I didn't read the books. I may one day, but who knows? We all know the books are always better. Anyway, let me know what you thought and follow/favorite if you'd like.**

***I do not own/ I am not affiliated with Divergent or any of the characters other than my own OCs***


	2. Choosing

Ayda didn't have a result, but she expected one. _Any_ one. The mind wants what it can't have, even when you initially didn't care.

She tossed and turned, wondering what this meant for her.

Divergent.

What did it mean? Why was she chosen to be born that way? Was she the only one? Did she belong anywhere? Many questions with no answers had made their way into her thoughts.

She looked out of her window, and the faint light of the rising sun could be seen at the farthest area of the sky. Sighing, she got up out of bed. She knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep so she decided to sneak out.

Ayda threw on shoes and quietly walked through the main hallway of her home, making sure to look in her parents room to see if they were sleeping. She didn't have a lot of time, but what she was going to do wouldn't take too long.

She got to the door and slowly opened it, trying to avoid any fast motions that would cause it to creek. Once she closed it behind her, she ran off in the direction of the sun.

The early risers gave her dirty looks as she passed by them. Probably because she was still in her pajamas.

Ayda made it to a tall, abandoned building, which she examined for certain points of destruction so she could climb. It wasn't her first time here, in fact, she comes more times than not when she finds herself unable to sleep at the early hours of the day. She knew exactly how to get up, but challenged herself every time to try and get to the top using a different pattern.

She began to climb when she found a spot to her liking, grabbing hold of a crack on the large structure and lifting up once she got a good grip. Continuing up, she ran into some issues but quickly got passed them until she finally made it to the top.

"Perfect," she said to herself as she walked to the farther edge of the building. It towered over the open fields of the Amity people. But that wasn't the reward. It was the beautiful colors of the sky, easily seen from the open view.

Bright yellow that bordered the horizon, fading to orange and pink and that to a lilac and blue. Dark silhouettes of Amity farmers working in the fields in foreview.

This was one thing she'd never tire of watching - the sun rising. Although it followed the same movement everyday, the results were never the same and that is what she loved most. Watching the sun rise made her no longer question where she belonged. She knew she belonged everywhere rather than nowhere and she had a lot more in common with the sun rising than she'd ever think.

Once the sun was fully up, she took it as her cue to return home.

* * *

It was almost time to go to the Choosing Ceremony. Ayda, knowing her parents were going to be with her, decided to try and dress appropriately to please them on the last day she'd be with them.

"I don't understand how you can wear this," Ayda spoke to her mother as she ran her palm over the long, dark blue pencil skirt that reached below her knees, only a foot or so away from the matching 2-inch heels on her feet. "I look like a tiny version of you." She turned slightly in the mirror with a look of disgust on her face at the dark blue blazer and white button up shirt beneath it.

"What's wrong with that?" her mother asked, offended by the comment.

"I suppose nothing if you're looking for clones," she laughed, sitting in the chair that was in front of her mother, facing the mirror.

Her long strands were lifted from the sides of her face and pulled back into a loose chignon.

"You look beautiful," her mother's eyes glistened at the sight of her daughter who finally looked like she belonged in Erudite. Ayda gave a small nod while looking at herself in the mirror, already imagining the moment she lets her hair loose and takes these horrible blue clothes off for good.

"I almost forgot." Ayda was taken aback, wondering what more she needed done to impress her parents. Her mother went into the little pocket on her own blazer and began to pull out a silver chain. It held onto the inside of the pocket just slightly at the end, her mother's finger reaching in to pull it out. A clear, pointed Quartz crystal hung from the chain.

Ayda watched as her mother wrapped it around her neck as a final touch and clasped it at the back. It fell to her mid breasts and she put a hand onto it to feel.

"It's- It's beautiful." She was nearly speechless, examining it as it shined in the light.

"Your real mother left it with you. I wanted to give it to you on the day of your Choosing Ceremony, the day you become your own woman."

Tears lined Ayda's eyes, still mesmerized by it. She got up and hugged her mother. "Thank you."

She could tell her mother was getting emotional as well by the way she hugged back. Her little girl was grown up.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I'll get father and meet you outside."

* * *

The room was a cream color. Their was a stage-like area with five pillars which each had a bowl sitting atop it with it's own material inside: grey stones for Abnegation, water for Erudite, dirt for Amity, hot coal for Dauntless, and glass for Candor. The seats were already crowded by every Faction, the many conversations melting into one another.

Ayda and her parents had passed Erudite's woman in charge, Jeanine, but not before they stopped to chat.

"Hello Jeanine," Ayda's mother greeted.

"Jane, Ayda," at Ayda's name she faked a look of enthrallment and quickly turned to her father, "Rick."

"It's nice to see you all here. Ayda is finally all grown up." Truth is, she probably couldn't wait for Ayda to pack herself up and leave Erudite forever. Jeanine is a woman of power and likes it to stay that way, but Ayda seems to test her. Ayda never really liked her. The vibe she gave off was mean doused in fake happiness, like trying to put on perfume after you've had a hard, sweaty day. It's still there, you just covered it up.

"You have a big decision to make today. Choose _wisely_." She said before excusing herself. Ayda rolled her eyes as her and her parents found seats in the Erudite section of the audience.

"She hates me, you know. She always has. The moment you two adopted me," Ayda explained, taking a seat.

"She doesn't hate you," her mother said, "and you cannot remember your moments of adoption, you were just a baby." Everyone finally settled in their seats.

"I can just assume." Claps began as Jeanine made her entrance onto the stage.

"The Faction System is a living being, composed of cells: All of you." She walked back and forth in front of the bowls. "And the only way it can survive and thrive is for each of you to claim your rightful place."

_"The future belongs to those who know where they belong."_

Jeanine's last words made Ayda shift in her seat nervously. She thought she had this figured out, but at this moment doubt started to seep into her mind. Leader of Abnegation, Marcus, had stepped up to speak. His words were drown out by Ayda's inner self, questioning what she was going to do.

"Faction before blood," everyone spoke, taking her from her thoughts.

Names began to be called out. One after another, people stepped up to the bowls. They grabbed the knife that was placed in front of them and made a slice in their palm to drop blood into the Faction bowl of their choosing. Each Faction applauded whoever chose them as they now changed their seat to whichever Faction it was.

Names seemed to be called as fast as lightning, already at her row. She tensed up as they called the person next to her. "Erudite!" everyone around her applauded, making her stress more.

"Ayda King."

Her heart skipped a beat as she heard her name. She arose with her parents and they hugged her, telling her that they loved her and she too loved them. She took slow steps towards the stage, her heart racing.

_You know what you want._ She told herself. She knew what she wanted, she just didn't like not having answers.

She stood before the bowls, looking at the steam from the heated coals, knowing it's what she wanted. Dauntless. Her shakey hand reached for the knife and she sliced her palm, a line of crimson forming. She held it over the coals and watched as her blood dripped into them, causing a quick sizzle. It felt like slow motion in her mind. "Dauntless!"

Dauntless clapped and cheered for her as she let out a small smile, walking to her new family.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! I know it's pretty slow right now, but Eric will be in the next chapter (: I want to thank everyone who already followed and favorite'd and to those who left nice reviews! **

**Let me know what you think so far! Maybe I will post a new chapter today or tomorrow. Follow/favorite if you'd like. Twitter: xAshleyFanFics**


	3. Initiate

All Dauntless started to run happily once they got outside. Ayda quickly joined them, taking off her heels and doing exactly as she imagined back in Erudite, and taking out her chignon to let her hair fly freely.

Everyone began climbing up the metal pillars that held up the trains railings. "Just what I'm used to," Ayda spoke as she too climbed up, swiftly and easily. She made it up before most of the others did.

"You're good, Ayda." a familiar voice spoke. "Vanessa!" Ayda was pulled into a hug by her rarely seen Dauntless friend.

"I wanted to see all the initiates. I knew I'd be seeing you," she smiled. "Get ready," she said as she backed up to the edge, as did everyone else.

Ayda looked to the right, nothing. When she looked to the left she could see a train off in the distance. Everyone was running as it passed, blowing Ayda's hair in all directions. She ran too, making sure to keep up with the rest. The speed of the train wasn't as fast as she thought it would be as she ran beside it. Before anyone else, she jumped onto it. Her skirt got caught on a sharp edge and ripped. She looked down at it and tore off at the length of the rip, which to her satisfaction, was right above her knees.

She watched as the experienced Dauntless jumped on, and some initiates struggled to keep up.

"Are you sure you're from Erudite?" Vanessa asked, trying to catch her breath as she moved passed the people in her way. "Not at all," Ayda smiled. She was already more comfortable than she's ever been.

"Is it just me, or are they trying to kill us?" a girl with short dark hair spoke from below. She was sitting, leaned up against the wall of the train.

"Their goal isn't to kill us, but to weave out the weakest links. They give us tasks that are just crazy enough that you either back out, or go for it. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have many people around," Ayda assumed.

"Crazy _and_ smart," Vanessa shook her head in amusement. Ayda shrugged.

"Get ready." A woman said, moving towards the door of the train.

"This ought to be good," Ayda and Vanessa moved to the door. People began to jump off further up on the train.

"What if you don't jump?" a conversation was overheard. "Whatta you think? You'll be Factionless."

As they approached the building they were to jump, they got ready. As soon as they hit it, Ayda was gone, wasting no time. She hit roughly on the roof, rolling over and sliding on her knees. They scraped pretty badly and started to bleed. "Ah, fuck!"

Vanessa jumped off shortly after, rolling with more grace than Ayda did. "Crazy, smart...fast. Does the list go on? We shall wait and see!" Vanessa teased.

"Alright, listen up. I'm Eric. I'm one of your leaders." a voice loudly spoke. Both girls gathered in closer to listen to what he had to say. From the distance, he was tall and pale. His hair was a dirty blonde, in a pompadour style with low shaved sides. "If you wanna enter Dauntless, this is the way in," he turned on the edge of the building, "and if you don't have the guts to jump, then you don't belong in Dauntless." Moving in closer, Ayda noticed he had two piercings, possibly dermals, above his right eyebrow and also in his ears. He had tattoos running up his neck that started somewhere beneath his black jacket.

"Is there water at the bottom, or something?" it was the guy Will, who she recognized from Erudite.

"I guess you'll find out." Eric had the itch of a smile on his face. "Or not." He had a surprisingly soothing voice. Deep, but it ran smooth with every word.

"Someone's gotta go first. Who's it gonna be?" he looked through the crowd. No one jumped for joy to go first, that's for sure.

"Crazy, right?" Ayda whispered to Vanessa and before she said anything, "I'll go!" Ayda pushed through the people in front of her and stood before this so called leader of Dauntless. He hopped down from the ledge and waved his hand out to it. When she got a closer look at him, she felt a small knot in her stomach out of nowhere. He was considerably larger than her and most of the men she was used to seeing. Not only in height, but in overall mass.

His cold, grey eyes matched the appearance of his personality. He seemed to have no life in those eyes, and you would think that you'd turn to stone with one look from him. Something about it interested her.

He lowered his eyes to her feet, which she almost forgot didn't have any shoes and that her knees were dripping blood.

She swallowed and turned her gaze to what was below this building. It was a dark hole that you couldn't see past. She unbuttoned her blazer and let it fall to the ground beside her. A few whistles came from behind as she revealed her white button up, sitting snug on her frame. It wasn't exactly opaque and you could see the black of her bra under it. She tucked her necklace inside of her shirt to ensure it wouldn't fly off in the process.

_They give us tasks that are just crazy enough that you either back out, or go for it._ she repeated to herself.

No one made a sound and all you could hear was the wind blowing as she slowly stepped up on the edge.

"Today initiate," Eric's voice echoed through her mind. She flipped him off before letting herself fall to whatever was down there.

The fall was fast, and by the time her heart pounded out of her chest was when she had already hit the net below. She laughed uncontrollably when she realized she was alive and on a net.

"What'd you get pushed?" a voice asked. She got up and crawled towards him. "I volunteered," she said as he helped her off. He too was tall, but thin. He had a slightly darker shade of skin than Eric did, and his hair was a brownish color.

"What's you name?" he asked, sternly.

"Ayda."

"First jumper, Ayda!" he yelled and a few cheers were heard. "Welcome to Dauntless."

* * *

"Dauntless born go with Lauren, transfers stay with me," the one who greeted Ayda at the bottom spoke loudly to the group. Vanessa wasn't around at this point, probably because she didn't need to be. The group had split nearly in half, most leaving with the girl named Lauren.

"Most of the time I work in Intelligence, but during your training I'll be your instructor." He walked around and then faced us. "My name's Four."

"Four, like the number?" the girl who was sitting on the train spoke. Ayda rolled her eyes at the girl's comment. "Exactly like the number," Four answered.

"What happened, one through three were taken?" she said sarcastically. Ayda had little patience for people like that. People who can't take certain things seriously. Four chuckled. "What's your name?" he asked her.

"Christina." He came closer to her, face to face. "Well, _Christina_, the first lesson you learn from me, if you wanna survive here, is _keep your mouth shut_. Do you understand me?" Ayda was glad he didn't let her go just like that. Strike a bit of fear and people will surely listen.

"Follow me," he spoke to the group. They walked down long, dark stairs. The light was a vibrant yet dim red-orange.

It didn't take too long to reach their destination. They overlooked a group of people in a circle, surrounding two who were fighting.

"This is The Pit," Four began, "the center of life here at Dauntless." They stood and watched a bit longer before moving on with the tour.

They were brought to an open room with a series of beds. "You're gonna be sleeping here for the next ten weeks."

"Girls or boys?" someone asked.

"Both." A few people made comments and noises. "If you like this, you're gonna love the bathroom." They moved through the room and into the bathroom. It too was open. No stalls, no walls or doors to separate the toilets. Ayda didn't mind the open room, but the bathroom thing is going to be tough, especially while there are guys around.

"You should feel right at home, Candor. Everything out in the open," Four remarked as he walked by Christina. He pushed through them and left, "get changed."

Everyone had their own set of clothes laid out on their bed. Ayda took the pants in her hands and nodded her head. She would easily get used to the new style. She unbuttoned her white shirt, taking it off and placing it on the bed. She took off her skirt, nearly naked. She took it and wiped the blood off of her knees. She felt eyes on her, of both guys and girls.

"Hi," a random guy came up to her. She raised an eyebrow, "really?" She slipped on the black pants that fit tightly along with the black undershirt and leather jacket. She kept her necklace tucked under to keep it safe. They were all given a pair of black combat boots as well, which Ayda happily wore.

Four came back and led the group, old Faction clothing in hand, into an area to toss their clothes in a fire. "Good riddance," Ayda smiled as she watched her old clothes go up in flames.

All of the things they were made to do had filled Ayda with an immense amount of new energy. Good energy. She felt alive, free, and like she could be herself for the first time in her life without anyone looking down at her about it.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I hope all who enjoyed the first two chapters continue to enjoy this one and the rest that are to come. That was the introduction of Eric. I know it was short, but there is more to come. Good things come to those who wait, right? Haha. Let me know what you all thought, it's greatly appreciated. If you're enjoying the story so far, let me know and I will post a new chapter tomorrow. Follow/favorite if you'd like! Twitter: xAshleyFanFics**


	4. Welcome

Ayda and the group were guided into a large dining hall. There were many tables and tons of Dauntless already eating, awaiting the arrival of the initiates. As they entered, people turned their heads to stare and get a good look.

Everyone began to split and take seats wherever they found one. Ayda looked around, searching for an empty seat until her eyes met the waving hand of Vanessa. She walked over and took a seat next to her. Four, and a few other initiates had been seated there.

"There are so many people here!" Ayda spoke loudly over the many conversations being had.

"You better eat up!" she laughed, pulling random foods onto her plate. Ayda's eyes lit up at the variety in front of her. There were burgers, breads, you name it. She piled her plate with anything in reach. "I'm going to build a massive burger. Be prepared," Ayda smiled as she put meat on the bread with lettuce and cheese, anything she could fit.

"You have new surprises every time I see you, Ayda. I'm adding 'big appetite' to the list," she took a bite of meat.

Ayda examined her burger, moving it back and forth, figuring out where to bite first. The thing _was_ massive.

She was about to take a huge bite when she noticed Eric was a few tables over and staring directly at her. She suddenly changed the pace of which she would tackle this burger. More neatly, more aware, unlike what she was about to do.

"What's up with Mr. Leader over there?" Ayda made subtle eye movements towards Eric.

"Who, Eric? I don't know. He's got a story, I bet. He's hot, though, right?" Vanessa looked at him and smiled.

"Eh," Ayda shrugged. She took a last glance at him, watching the way he moved, the way he ate and the way he spoke to people he knew. She bit her lip, tilting her head slightly.

"Have you never seen a hamburger before?" Christina's odd question grabbed Ayda's attention. She was speaking to a girl she had gotten familiar with, long hair and an innocent face. She was staring at the meat like it was a beast with ten heads.

"No, I-I've seen one, I just have never eaten one," she spoke, grabbing a piece of meat onto her plate.

"Abnegation eat plain food. Plant-based diet with no sauces and a minimum of seasoning," Will added.

"Which text book did you swallow?" Christina joked. Being from Erudite, he of course wanted to show off his intelligence. Ayda was just as smart, she just didn't care to show it off like an accessory. If she needed it, it'll be there.

She turned her attention back to the table, Eric had left and someone new took his place.

"I don't want to hear about your old Factions. You're Dauntless now," Four's stern voice interrupted.

"I don't see the big deal, Four," Ayda chimed in, "there's no harm in speaking of their old Faction when they've _chosen_ to be here." This seemed to anger him further and she knew it. "If you want to reminisce about your old Faction, then you can beg for them to let you back in." Before she could say anything back, a man came over to him and a bell rang causing everyone to bang their cups on the table.

"Initiates!" a man above called out. "Stand." He was on the floor above them.

Ayda stood with the rest of the initiates. "You have chosen to join the warrior Faction, tasked with the defense of this city and all it's inhabitants. We believe in ordinary acts of bravery in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another. Respect that. Do us proud." Everyone began to clap and cheer, Ayda joining in too. Unexpectedly, she was lifted off of the ground and up into the air with the other initiates. _I could get used to this,_she thought as she road the crowd of Dauntless holding her up.

Soon everyone settled down, everyone being put on the ground and going back to eating their meal.

"This is better than I ever imagined. You didn't mention this amazing welcome when we met," Ayda said, grabbing what was left of her burger. It was wet from the fluid of everyone's cups, but she didn't care.

"I didn't want to spoil all the surprise," she smiled. "Hey, since you're Dauntless now, do you want to go out and have a little fun after we finish up here? They usually let initiates roam the place after the introduction."

"That sounds more than good to me."

"We'll get you some new clothes and who knows what else?" she smirked, causing a smirk to form on Ayda's face as well.

"Alright, initiates, listen up!" Four's voice roared. "You are free to do as you please until it is time to go to sleep. Upon waking up, you will begin your first day of training."

* * *

"This is way too sexy for training," Ayda said as she walked out of the dressing room in a tight black dress.

"You never know what you'll be doing between training, though," Vanessa poked her eyebrows up and down.

"I can't imagine doing much. At least not with anyone I've seen so far." Ayda stared into the mirror at the dress, and Eric popped into her head. "On second thought-"

"You're getting it!"

She tried on a few pants and shirts and got everything else she needed, from underwear and bras to pajamas and shoes. All initiates get to pick things they will need.

"I want to get my hair cut," Ayda said, playing with her hair in the mirror. The length reached just below her breasts, curling towards her at the ends.

"But your hair is beautiful!" Vanessa felt it between her fingers.

"Thank you, but..I just want something new."

The two walked to a nearby salon, catching up with each other after so long.

"So, did anyone catch your eye at all? I know you made a comment earlier, but there has to be someone, right? Anyone?" she stared at Ayda until she couldn't hold it in anymore. A huge smile spread across her face.

"Yup, I knew it."

"Maybe there's _someone._" Ayda's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. There he was again, Eric. Those grey eyes that made her wonder. What was she thinking? She barely knew the guy. He was uptight and tough. There were no reasons to like him.

"Who?" Vanessa pried deeper with a big smile.

"I'll let you know when _I _know for sure. Like I said, _maybe_ there's someone. Maybe there's not," Ayda finished as she opened the door to the salon.

"Hello ladies, what can I do for you two?" a woman greeted.

Ayda decided to get a medium length bob with a streak of turquoise.

"Now you definitely look like you belong in Dauntless," Vanessa nodded her head.

"I definitely belong in Dauntless," Ayda replied, remembering her aptitude test.

* * *

**Am I making you guys antsy with the pace? Yeah? Good! Just kidding, I really hope you all like it so far. Leave a review and I will post faster, follow/favorite if you'd like. Twitter- xAshleyFanFics**


	5. Training Begins

Ayda laid in her designated bed, lights were out and no one, that she was aware of, was awake. She stared at the ceiling, gripping her necklace, still filled with energy. She lifted herself up into a sitting position, looking around at everyone who was sleeping. There was no way of telling what time it was, but from being awake most nights, she had an idea. If she was correct, she had about an hour before sunrise.

She couldn't deal with laying in bed any longer and got up to take a small walk. Was it even permitted at this hour? As far as she knew, she had the area of beds and the bathrooms that she could go to. Anything outside of those two rooms, she was taking a risk.

She peeked around the corner of the open doors, looking through the dim hallways. They were empty. She was in a pair of black shorts, a black racer back tank top and nothing but socks on her feet. She stepped out into the hallway and began to walk. She noticed the way her socks slid on the surface of the floor and started to slide out of boredom. She slid from one side to the other, nearly crashing into the walls each time and having to hold back laughter.

She slid to the end of the hallways and was about to make a turn, bumping into someone, causing her to slip backwards onto her butt. She held her eyes shut, _you didn't just bump into someone,_ she thought. She opened them and looked up at who it was. Her cheeks grew red, "Eric- I-"

"What are you doing out of your room, initiate?" Eric stood there, annoyed look on his face. He had a plain black t-shirt that fit his build perfectly, showcasing his broad shoulders and large physique. His defined arms were visible unlike the first time she saw him. He had tattoos on both forearms. Bold, black maze-like patterns surrounding the symbol of Dauntless.

"I was just- I-" She couldn't form a coherent sentence. Aside from being nervous about the consequences of her being out of the room, she was taken aback by his presence. He towered over her like a skyscraper, looking at her with those cold eyes that made her shiver on the inside, and not in a bad way.

"I thought Erudite's knew how to speak," he said. This made her blood boil. He was such an asshole. He didn't even help her up off the ground. She used the wall beside her to help herself up to a standing position which was only up to his neck.

"I may have transferred from Erudite, but that doesn't mean I _am_ Erudite," she regained her confidence. He stood silent, just looking at her.

"Get back to where you belong or you won't have a Faction," his face had no emotion. Ayda clenched her jaw and turned around, heading back to the room. She could feel him watching her for a moment before she disappeared into the room.

* * *

The sound of metal against metal shattered the sleep of all initiates. "I want everyone in The Pit. Two minutes." Four came in briefly.

Ayda's eyes felt heavy, as if they'd fall right to the ground if she stood up. She took her time getting out of bed, throwing clothes on and glancing in the mirror quickly. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her usual dark circles were even more prominent.

The group walked to The Pit like a herd of sheep. Everyone was tired but no one complained. The light of the sun was shining through the glass above, lighting up the pale walls. Four approached the group, Eric leaned on a raised structure behind.

"There are two stages of training. The first is physical," Four began. Ayda bit her lip, remembering her unfortunate meeting with Eric. She played it over in her head, barely listening to what Four was saying.

"You'll be trained separately from the Dauntless born but you will be ranked together. After initiation, rankings will determine which jobs you move into. Leadership, guarding the fence, keeping the Factionless from killing each other."

"Rankings will also determine who gets cut," Eric added. _Cut?_ she wondered. She gave herself a mental face-palm and hoped that her little incident didn't have any affect on her ranking.

"Cut?" Christina asked. Eric stood, walking towards them. "At the end of each stage of training the lowest ranking initiatives will be leaving us."

"To do what?" someone asked.

"There's no going home to your families, so you live Factionless."

Ayda swallowed, shaking her head. "Problem?" he caught her off guard.

"U-Uh, no. No, yes, actually. Since when did this become part of being Dauntless?" She questioned.

"It's a new rule," he said, as if it were as simple as that.

"That's bullshit," Ayda said, surprising herself.

"Would you have chosen differently?" he asked, that cold gaze meeting her own, "out of fear?"

"Not at all."

"If you're really one of us, it won't matter to you that you might fail." He spoke to everyone. "Alright? You chose us," he paused, "now we get to choose you."

"We're going to start you off by giving a demonstration of what you can expect to be doing," Four said, getting their attention back to what they need to be doing.

From there, they watched one of the fights. There was nothing fake about it. Real hits, real blood, real pain. Four paired everyone off to practice their fighting stance, hits and blocks.

"Looks like there is an uneven amount, so you'll train with me," Four said to Ayda. She wasn't sure if she should be nervous or happy to get a highly experienced partner.

Eric stood nearby, arms crossed in front of his chest, watching as an initiate gets to train one-on-one with a leader. It was nerve-wracking enough to be working with him, but to have Eric watching her every move was the icing on the cake.

"Ok, now try your best to do as I do," Four started. He moved into stance, raising his elbows and balling his fists. Ayda did as he did. He made a few adjustments to her stance and let her get used to it. "I'm going to come in slowly and you have to block, understand?" She nodded her head.

Slowly he moved in and she attempted to block. "Ok, not too bad, now you." She turned her head to glance at Eric who was staring intently at her, making her snap her head back to the attention of Four. "Focus," he reminded her.

"Come on, Erudite. Show us what you've got," Eric's voice echoed.

"He's just trying to get you angry. Ignore him," Four said. Ayda regained confidence and her stance was much taller now. She came in for a slow hit and Four blocked it, "good, now let's quicken the pace." They went back and forth, building up a sweat.

"Alright, initiates, we're going for a run and that will conclude your training for this morning," Four spoke after stopping. "You will take a break for lunch and we will meet up again for target practice."

Ayda had fairly good stamina already, making training that much easier on her.

Everyone went for a run. It was a mile, with rest stops here and there for those who couldn't handle it. When they got back they went straight to the dining hall to eat.

"Ayda, over here!" Vanessa yelled from the table she sat at. "How is training going? Rough, right?" she asked as Ayda took a seat next to her.

"It wasn't too bad." She grabbed meats and vegetables, immediately eating as soon as she gathered it all on a plate. "At least not yet."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you like the story. Reviews make me post new chapters quicker. Follow/favorite if you'd like. Twitter- xAshleyFanFics**


	6. Butterflies

After eating, all initiates went outside to practice shooting targets. They were up on a rooftop, somewhere that Ayda couldn't wait to use to her advantage at night.

Groups of five would take turns shooting. Ayda's group was next. She waited anxiously for the group ahead to finish. She had never touched, or even seen a gun in person before and couldn't wait to try one out.

"Alright, next group," Four guided them. Ayda grabbed the gun from the guy who tried to talk to her while she was getting undressed the first day. He smirked as she took it from his hand, the skin of their fingers brushing against one another's momentarily. She ignored him and walked towards her post. She lifted the gun, observing it. It was a matte grey color and decently light in weight.

She leaned on the post, and lifted the gun to her head. It naturally fell into position and felt comfortable as she got ready to aim. She looked into the sight and paused for a moment as she looked at the orange target, steadying herself. Everyone else began shooting, bullets whizzing by the targets, some barely scraping the torso. Unlike them, she was patient. Not too patient where she would get shot in battle, but not careless enough to waste a bullet either. She put her finger to the trigger and held her breath as she pulled it, making everyone gasp behind her. The recoil wasn't too bad, only slightly pushing her back. She lifted her head and looked at the target. Perfect shot right between the eyes, so to speak.

"Good job, Ayda," Four praised. "Try it again." She kept hitting within the same region taking less time the more comfortable she got.

Her group finished and as they walked back, he tapped her before she went back to the rest of the initiates.

"What she did today is what you all should strive to achieve within the next few weeks,"Four spoke to them as he put his arm around her, resting his hand on her farther shoulder. Someone began to clap, everyone joining in afterwards. "Thank you," her cheeks grew a bright red, not used to being put on the spot for doing something good.

"Now," he removed his hand and she went back to the group, "we're going for another mile long run and that will end your training for the day."

They went lower in the building and went outside to more level grounds to run. At the end, Ayda felt like collapsing. She had never done so much intense work in one day. But that's why it's called training, after all. She will just have to get used to it, and she happily will.

* * *

The hot water on her face felt amazing. Taking a shower never felt so good. The sweat that built up throughout the day washed off of her body, and the sweet smell of floral soap took it's place.

Ayda heard whistles from behind her, almost forgetting that the males and females shared, well, _everything._ Her eyes grew wide when she felt the sting of a slap on her bare bottom. She turned around and punched whoever it was in the eye and grabbed her towel, walking quickly out to the rooms where everyone else was. She didn't even bother to look at who it was, it took every inch of control to hold her back from trying to rip them to shreds.

She put on a pair of black leggings, and a black tank top under a leather jacket. She quickly towel dried her hair until it no longer dripped water, leaving it to air dry. She put on socks and combat boots, put on her necklace and left, not looking back or speaking to anyone about what happened. Not that anyone would even care anyway. If she wanted to be Dauntless, she needed to be brave.

She walked with haste to nowhere in particular. She didn't know where she wanted to go, she just walked, going wherever her legs took her.

"Hey, Ayda, is everything alright?" she hardly noticed Four walk by her with the thoughts running through her mind. She stopped, looking at him, mouth slightly hung open.

"Are you alright?" he repeated.

"Oh, y-yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You look upset," he said.

"Upset...yeah, I'm fine, I'm just tired," she lied, tapping her foot.

"For someone who's tired you seem to be doing a lot of walking," he smiled. She forced a smile and a small laugh, "I know, I'm just weird like that." _You're just weird like that? _she thought to herself, imagining how stupid she sounds right now.

"Well, I have to get going. I'm sure you'll get some good rest tonight after the work you did today." She smiled and nodded her head. He wasn't being as stern as he usually is during training. Maybe he really is a nice person outside of training initiates.

Ayda stood in the middle of the hall, not sure what to do. She didn't want to go back, but she knew she had to get back soon to go to bed. She sighed, leaning against the wall and sliding down to a sitting position, knees up to her face. A few people walked by, staring at her. She decided to get up and go back. She walked slowly this time, not in any rush.

When she got back, everyone was already getting in bed. She walked to her bed and took off her boots and jacket, kicking them under. She got under the covers and curled up, shutting her eyes. She fell in and out of sleep until she finally passed out.

_Ayda was in a familiar room. The room she took her aptitude test in. She was sitting in the chair and Tori was there, shaking her head in fear._

_"What is my result?" she asked her. Tori backed away, "Divergent!" she began to yell, opening the door. _

_"What?" Ayda began to panic._

_"Divergent!" she repeated, yelling to someone. Guards came rushing in, grabbing Ayda. She tried to move, but her body was limp. They dragged her to Jeanine who had a wicked smile on her face, "get rid of her."_

_"No!" Ayda yelled, but nothing came out of her mouth._

Her eyes shot open, jolting upwards with sweat dripping from her head. She looked around and was in the dark room, everyone in bed asleep.

"It was just a dream.." she whispered to herself, "just a dream." More like a nightmare. She hasn't had a thought about her test in a while. She still had many questions, but the training had occupied her mind.

She got out of bed, ready for attempt number two at sneaking out. She was scared of how it would affect her ranking if she got caught, but ignored it. She looked around and no one was out. She began walking, avoiding any sliding with her socks to make sure she didn't repeat what happened with Eric. His face appeared in her mind, making butterflies in her stomach. She was annoyed that he had that affect on her, even knowing how much of a dick he can be. There was just something about him that attracted her. She was taken from her thoughts when she heard footsteps around a corner. She froze in place and looked around. There was an empty room with multiple computer systems inside and she hid in it, standing stiffly against the wall behind a tall file cabinet and getting a view out the door.

There he was, Eric. Passing by. She gasped when she saw it was him, covering her mouth after making the noise. He stopped and turned around, walking towards the door. _Damn!_ she thought as she made herself as tight against the wall as possible. She heard him walk in the room and stop.

"What are you doing in here, Erudite?" he asked, making her heart race. She wondered how he saw her and noticed that her foot was sticking out too far. Inside she _wanted_ to be caught by him.

"How do you know it's me?" she asked without stepping out.

"You're the only initiate who walks around without any shoes," he stated. He was right. She always seemed to walk around barefoot, even the day she chose to be Dauntless. But why did he notice that?

She bit her lip as she saw his shadow move and he came around, now standing in front of her.

"It's funny how we keep meeting like this, right?" she swallowed. He was in another one of those black t-shirts and she got a better look at him, growing butterflies yet again. His grey eyes showed no emotion, but they stared into her blue ones.

"I don't find it very amusing, initiative. Care to explain why I keep finding you out here?"

"I-"

"I don't care. I don't want to find you out of the dormitory again," he snapped.

"Right, of course," she lied. She went to walk out but he stood in front of her. She almost walked into him, thinking he would move. She looked up at him and quickly looked away, "sorry." She walked around him and out of the room, back to the dormitory.

* * *

**There you have it, hope you liked it. I want to thank you all for the positive feedback on this story! I hope you continue to enjoy (: Follow/favorite if you'd like, and review if you'd like me to post a new chapter sooner than later. I love hearing what you think!**


	7. Ranking

The annoying banging of Four's wake up call forced Ayda out of a deep sleep. She moaned, shuffling in her bed, feeling like she had closed her eyes for only ten minutes. She forced herself up, moaning from the aches in her body as she dragged herself out of the bed.

"Be in the arena in two minutes for training!" Four ordered.

She changed into her clothes to train in, tight yet stretchy. She glanced in the mirror quickly, fixing her hair and noticing how much more tired she looked today than she did yesterday. She shook her head and turned to walk out when she noticed someone with a black eye. She gave them a glare, going straight to the arena. Four paired everyone up as they came and Ayda was paired with Will, the one who also came from Erudite.

"I've seen you around before," she said to him, breaking the ice.

"I believe we had classes together," Will said, getting into stance.

"I believe you're right." Ayda began and they went back and forth with the same motions. Blocking, going in for a hit, being blocked, and repeat. The motion had Ayda bored out of her mind, beginning to loosely go in for hits. "I don't see how this is helping," she mumbled.

"First jumper!" Eric's voice called. Ayda looked confusingly at him. "In the ring." Ayda hesitantly walked towards the ring, not sure what was going on.

"Who else?" he asked the rest, scanning the crowd of initiates that were walking towards him. "You," he looked to a girl who was larger in size than Ayda. "Time to fight."

_Time to fight? Shit, this must be my punishment for last night._ she thought to herself, getting in the ring. She wasn't ready for this and she knew it. Her body was in pain and she hardly got any sleep, not that that would change anytime soon.

The other girl stepped in the ring and they stood across from one another. "How long do we fight?" the girl asked.

"'Til one of you can't continue," Eric answered. "Or until one of you concedes," Four added.

"According to the _old_ rules. New rules, no one concedes." Ayda wasn't about to surrender anyway, so if he changed that rule to mess with her, it will surely backfire. Eric and Four quietly spoke, Four obviously not approving these new rules.

"You'll be scored on this, so fight hard," Eric looked at Ayda with those cold eyes. She looked at him with disgust and shook her head before getting ready to fight.

She swallowed, watching as the girl got into stance and came towards her. _Ok, you got this. Just let her take a few swings and she will be tired._ Ayda gave herself a pep talk. She bit her lip, licking it as it fell from between her teeth. She placed her necklace under her shirt and put her arms up.

The girl came in for a hit, Ayda moved out of the way, keeping her arms up. Another swing and she missed again, stumbling. One more, and she was starting to get out of breath, just what Ayda was hoping for.

"Come on, Ayda!" she heard from the crowd. She let the girl go for one more hit, but this time she skimmed the side of her cheek. Ayda recovered and moved quickly, punching the girl, causing her to stumble backwards. She moved closer and gave her an elbow to the jaw and swept her leg, making her fall to the ground. Her adrenaline was pumping and she took it upon herself to walk off the ring.

"Don't test me because I will pass with flying colors each and every time," she said to Eric as she passed him. Her confidence was high even though she initially thought she would be the one on the ground. Four had ice packs ready in hand, tossing one to her as she went to sit down. She held the ice to her cheek, wincing as the sting of the cold touched her heated skin.

Eric watched her for a moment. He seemed angry, but when didn't he look angry? "Alright, guys, over here," he walked towards a screen with everyone's names appearing. "Listen up," he turned to face everyone. Ayda got up and walked over, still holding the ice to her cheek.

"You know what this board is?" he looked around. "It's your life. We grade you everyday. You're still in the red by the end of the first stage, you're out."

Ayda looked for her name, assuming it would be decently high on the board. It was nowhere. She skimmed through the red until she saw it. "28 Ayda" in red. She couldn't believe it. How could her name be in the red? She was first jumper, did great with shooting targets, and just won her first fight. This can't be right. Could it really be from sneaking around during the night?

Everyone scattered, training was done for now. Ayda stood there, still in shock. She walked up to the board, reading every line again.

"Something wrong?" Eric asked. She looked at him, anger in her eyes.

"These rankings are all messed up. There is noway in Hell that I should be in the red!"

"There happens to be people that are better than you," he said, looking at the names above hers. She shook her head, "I'm not trying to brag here, but I did better than most of these people."

"I don't know what to tell you, Erudite." She sighed, looking at him. There was no sign of him caring. She walked away, ready to cry her eyes out. Why did he treat her so badly?

* * *

Ayda met up with Vanessa in The Pit.

"I saw," Vanessa said, pulling Ayda into a hug.

"It's not fair. It really isn't fair. I deserve a better ranking. It's Eric. He's out to get me," Ayda explained.

"Eric's out to get everyone. He's hard on people, but I've never seen him _this_ hard on someone. Maybe he likes you," Ayda was caught off guard. "What?" she began feeling butterflies again. She hated it. He made her training harder than it has to be yet she still feels attracted to him.

"Yeah, it's like grade school when a boy is picking on you and your parents tell you he just has a crush on you. It's kind of true," she laughed.

"You think so?" Ayda asked, curious now. "But he couldn't possibly like _me_."

"Have you seen yourself? Even I'd date you if I were into girls." Ayda laughed at her comment. She never really looked at herself like that before. Was she really that attractive?

"I want to get a tattoo," Ayda said, changing the subject, "let's go," she smiled, dragging Vanessa towards the tattoo shop.

"What do you have in mind?" she asked. "I have no idea," Ayda looked in excitement at the place.

They entered the shop and it was dark, lit mainly by a large, red neon sign. Music played and people were all over. Ayda noticed that Tori had worked there. She hadn't seen her since the aptitude test, and it wasn't exactly the best interaction. Ayda ignored her, looking at all the tattoo designs that hung on the wall. None of them caught her eye until she got an idea.

She took down two plates. One had a lily and the other had a rose with a thorny stem. She walked them over to Tori and handed them to her. "I'd like to get a few lilies with the thorny stems of this rose design. If that's possible?" Tori looked at her, an unsettling look in her eye. "Yeah, I can do that. Sit." Ayda took a seat in the chair while Tori got the tattoo ready. Vanessa stayed near the wall of designs and waited for Ayda.

"Where do you want it?" Tori asked when she came over. "On my side," she shifted to her side, pointing at the spot, starting at her mid-thigh and going up to her ribs. She nodded, placing the piece on her side and powering it on.

"You made a mistake choosing Dauntless, they'll find out about you here," Tori spoke.

"I'm doing just fine here, so I disagree. And," Ayda raised an eyebrow, "who are _they_?" she questioned.

"The people you're a threat to," she whispered. "You don't fit into a category so they can't control you."

Ayda sighed. "Well I don't really have any other choices, now do I? What was I supposed to do, stay in Erudite? Pick something else? No matter what, I had to choose to be somewhere, and this is where I wanted to be." Tori took the piece off of her to reveal a black tattoo. She just looked at her and stood up, "you're done."

Ayda stood up and walked to the mirror, looking at the new addition to her skin. "Wow, that looks..different," Vanessa walked over.

"It's perfect," Ayda said, smiling.

* * *

**I couldn't wait to post another chapter, so here you go. What did you think? Eric being too hard on Ayda? And don't worry, Eric is slowly making his way into the story for those who want more of him. Believe me, I do too (:**

**Leave a review if you want to see a new chapter sooner than later. Follow/favorite if you'd like.**


	8. Knives

"I'm going to give him a piece of my mind," Ayda said, eating her food.

"Do you want to risk being ranked even lower?" Vanessa questioned.

"There's no way that can happen. There's no way!" Ayda's mind was spinning. She hated this. She felt emotional, like she wanted to cry her eyes out. She put her head in her hands and growled, pulling on her hair. She smacked the table and got up, "this has to be fixed." She walked over to the table where Eric was eating and stood, watching him with her arms crossed. He looked up. "Can we talk?" she asked.

"Not now, initiate." He tried to ignore her, Four looking in confusion. Ayda clenched her jaw. She slammed the table in front of him, "yes, now!"

"What's going on?" Four asked.

"What's going on? Have you seen the rankings lately? Come on, Four, you and I both know I shouldn't be in the red!" she yelled, catching the attention of everyone at their table.

"In the red? You shouldn't be anywhere near it," Four stated. Although nothing had changed just yet, Ayda felt relieved. She shook her head, looking at Eric. "I'll be sure to get that fixed, don't worry."

Ayda let out a smirk, "oh, and my name is Ayda," she said to Eric who never seemed to be able to call her by her name. She went back to her table and sat next to Vanessa again.

"Four is getting it fixed for me," Ayda said, picking up her meal where she left off.

"It was that easy?" she asked.

"I guess so. I deserve a correct ranking," Ayda noticed Vanessa staring off. "What are you looking at?"

"He definitely has a thing for you. Either that, or he really hates you." Ayda's cheeks grew pink and a small smile appeared on her face.

"Why are you all smiley all of a sudden?" Vanessa caught her.

"W-What? I'm not," Ayda denied, not even aware that she was smiling. Vanessa smirked and squinted her eyes, "don't tell me you- Oh my- I would have never guessed!"

"What? No-"

"Eric of all people? He's such an asshole to you!" Ayda covered Vanessa's mouth, "shh!" and looked around to make sure no one heard. She pulled her hand away. "Girls always go for the bad boys," Vanessa laughed.

"Oh shut up," Ayda moaned, "I don't even care about him. He's just a jerk. A really, _really_ attractive jerk." She leaned her head on her hand and closed her eyes, taking a long breath in and releasing it.

* * *

The next day the initiates were back in the arena. Eric was around but Ayda kept her distance. She trained on the bag until she was out of breath and sweating. As she was catching her breath, she stood outside of the ring, watching Christina fight against the girl she beat yesterday. The girl kneed Christina in the stomach and hit her, making her fall to the ground. She kicked her a few times in the stomach and began punching her in the face. Christina crawled away and put her hand out, forfeiting.

"Needa stop?" Eric came over to Christina. She just looked at him, breathing heavily with a blood soaked face. "Ok, let me give you a hand," he reached his hand out for her to take. Ayda watched, wondering why he was being nice suddenly. It was unlike him.

"Alright, lets everyone take a break!" Eric called to everyone. He was leading them all somewhere, walking beside Christina. He put his arm around her back, making Ayda cringe. Was she jealous? The better question is, why was Eric acting this way? It had to be a facade.

Ayda picked at her fingers as she walked, unable to take her eyes off of his hand touching Christina's side. They neared the Chasm and as soon as Eric walked over it, he forced Christina over the edge. "Grab the rail," he held onto one hand as she held onto the rail with the other. "Or don't," he let go and she held onto the rail for her life. A horrible sense of relief shot through Ayda knowing that he wasn't flirting with her.

"You have three options: Hang there and I'll forget your cowardice, fall and die, or give up. But if you give up, you're out," he stood above her. She struggled to hold on. She gripped her teeth, clearly in a lot of pain. Her fingers started to slowly slide, making it harder to hold on.

"Time!" Eric yelled, everyone rushing by to help Christina up. "Dauntless _never_ give up," were his final words before putting everyone back in the arena to continue their training.

Ayda took her place back at the bag, punching it until she was grunting in pain from each blow.

"Good work, initiate," the voice startled her. She stopped hitting, her fingers tensing up in pain as she moved.

"Now you're being nice to me?" she faced Eric, "what are you going to do, throw me over the Chasm next?"

"No, I will do much worse than that," he smirked. A smirk? A smirk is a form of smiling, which Ayda never knew Eric was capable of doing. The expression made her bite her lip. He looked good with a smile, even if it was just a smirk.

"Why are you so against me? Can you answer me that?" she asked, being upfront.

"I'm not against you," was all he said before he walked away. She rolled her eyes, lifting her hands up to observe the bruises and blood covering her knuckles. She smiled. Maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed.

"Alright, everyone to the training room," Eric ordered.

Everyone met up in the room. Targets were set up and there was a table lined with throwing knives. Ayda was excited at this point. She knew how to throw knives and couldn't wait to show off her skill.

Everyone grabbed a set and picked a spot. Ayda went right into it, throwing her first knife, landing it right in the center of the target. Some people noticed, and attempted to do the same, hitting around the circle or not throwing hard enough for the knife to stick in it. The knives with metal, had a small weight to them and felt cold in her hand.

She felt a strong presence behind her, but didn't look to see who it was, knowing already that it was Eric. She took her second knife, aiming and throwing. It stuck in right next to the first.

The presence had moved on, walking to the next person. "That was pathetic," Eric's pleasant voice was heard as he watched someone's knife bounce off the wall. Ayda stopped and watched.

"It slipped," the person explained.

"Go get it!" Eric demanded.

"While they're throwing?"

"Are you afraid?" Eric teased.

"Of getting stabbed by an airborne knife, yeah." Even if you were afraid, you knew better than to say yes. There is no winning with this question, you either do as he says, end up with an even worse punishment, or live Factionless.

"Everybody stop!" Eric's order echoed through the room. "Stand in front of the target," he told the guy. He began to walk towards the target, Eric calling for Four's help. He wanted Four to throw the knives at him, and if he flinched, he's out.

"One thing that you will learn here is that orders are not an option," Eric spoke to everyone. Four walked to his position, getting ready to throw the knives.

"Eric, are you really going to make him go through this?" Ayda called out before Four could throw. The look on Eric's face was enlightenment.

"You're right," he walked over to Four, taking the knives from him and walking them to Ayda. "You throw." Her heart felt like it dropped to her stomach. Was he serious? Of course he was, that's a stupid question. She hesitantly grabbed the knives from him, grazing his fingers with her own. His skin was soft, something she didn't expect. She shook it off and walked over to the spot to throw. She breathed in and out, biting her lip. She slowly raised her arm up, focusing on where she wanted the knife to go. She threw it and it stuck right beside his arm.

She swallowed, getting the next one ready. She got it right above his head.

Side of head, next to the other arm...then shit, the knife went through his pants, just barely skimming his leg.

"I'm done!" Ayda tossed the rest of the knives on the ground, refusing to throw anymore. She went over to help, pulling the knife out of his pants.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He seemed pissed, walking away from her.

"Alright, we're done for the day, get out," Eric said to everyone. They all left, Ayda standing near the target, just staring at it.

"I said get out," Eric said to her. She turned around to look at him, "what if I wasn't able to throw those knives the way I did? What if I threw a knife and it hit him in the arm, or worse?" she questioned.

"I knew you wouldn't hit him," he said simply.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you throw before. I knew you wouldn't hit him." She stared at him, blinking a few times. He looked at her, something different in his eyes. It was subtle, but she noticed it. "If you don't want to clean all these knives up, get going." She stood for a moment, still processing what happened.

"A-Are you cleaning them up?" she asked, curious. If he was then she wouldn't mind helping out. Maybe she could get to know him better.

"No," he said.

"Oh. Yeah, I was just-" she stopped herself, trying not to babble. "Never mind," she let out an uncomfortable laugh, "I'm going now." She began walking backwards slowly, waiting for a response. He just nodded, looking at her funny. She turned around and walked away, making a face to herself. _Way to act normal, Ayda._ She scolded herself.

She didn't know what it was about him that made her nervous. Maybe it was his attitude, or the way he treated her. Or the fact that she's never really been with a guy, let alone liked one more than a friend. They don't come like Eric in Erudite. And if they do, then they're hiding it because she's never seen someone like that before. There was, however, a familiar uptight personality that he seemed to have.

Ayda shook her head as she walked to the dormitory. The next few weeks were going to be long, she had a feeling.

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	9. Knockout

**WARNING: There is mature content in this chapter. If you're not comfortable reading sexual themes, feel free to skip the top half of this chapter.**

* * *

Ayda stepped into the dormitory and to her surprise, it was empty. No one was around, probably because they all went to do other things like shop and get tattoos. All she wanted right now was a warm shower to relax in. Walking on eggshells around Eric but realizing those eggshells were quite weak made her mentally exhausted.

She placed the clothes she was going to wear on her bed and grabbed a towel. She walked into the bathroom, hanging the towel on a hook near the shower. She turned the water on, testing it before going in. Hot, but not too hot that it would burn her skin. Stepping under, she let the water drench her, taking in the warmth and steam. She slowly melted into the raining water, listening to the drops hitting her head. There was always something soothing about the sound of water.

"Ayda, right?" she jumped, not realizing that anyone came in. She turned around to see someone she didn't really want to see. The one she punched in the eye. And he wasn't alone. There was another who she didn't recognize.

She turned the water off and went to grab the towel, but he took it before she could. "Do you want another black eye?" she asked him, putting her arms over her breasts. He let out a breathy laugh, a mischievous grin on his face.

"What do you want?" she asked him, growing nervous.

"I'm not so happy about you making me look like a bitch. Didn't your parents ever tell you that violence has consequences?"

"Didn't your parents ever tell you that disrespecting women has consequences?" she attempted to walk around the two, being grabbed by the one she didn't know. He pulled her arms behind her back and put his arm around her neck.

The other came up and rubbed her cheek, causing her to push his hand off with her face and snarl.

"Of all the girls here, you have the best body," he touched her breasts, feeling them with both hands. She struggled to get out of the other's hold, but failed. She swung her leg, kicking the one touching her, making him stumble backwards. The one holding her tightened his grip around her neck, making her gasp for air.

"Let her breathe, Drew, I want her to be awake," the one who she kicked said while he got up. He didn't look happy. The one named Drew loosened his grip. She coughed as she was able to breathe again, "you fucking assholes!" she yelled, coughing more. She was punched in the face by the one she kicked, her head flying to the side. Her face immediately swelled, blood coming from her lip. Drew pushed her forward, the wet floor making her slip.

"Go ahead, hit me, I hope it makes you feel better about your pathetic lives," she said, using her arm to wipe her lip as she rose to her feet.

"We have a lot more planned for you," the nameless one said as he pushed her against wall. The cold surface sent goosebumps all over her body. He violently pushed her head on the wall, causing her to grunt in pain. He grabbed her wrists and she heard dangling from behind her, causing her to rip her hands away. He grabbed them with both hands, forcing them together while Drew handcuffed her.

"Fuck you!" she yelled loudly. He smirked, putting his hand over her mouth to muffle her voice. He proceeded to unzip his pants, making her struggle and try to run away. He kicked the back of her knees, making her fall to the ground. He crawled on top of her, legs on either side. He punched her again from behind, hard enough to make her dizzy without being knocked out. He crushed her head to the ground and forcefully angled her hips, entering her roughly.

She tried to move out from under him, but the cuffs made it hard for her to do anything while he was on top of her. He moved in and out of her, causing pain. She let her body relax, knowing she wasn't going to get out of here. He grabbed her all over until he finally finished, squeezing her hair as he came on her back, warm liquid trickling down her sides and dripping off onto the floor.

When he regained himself he hit her once more in the face, making her eyesight blurry and confusion wrapped around her mind. For a moment she thought she was dreaming. Someone yelled "what the fuck are you doing?" She tried to move her head but was taken over by darkness.

* * *

The sound of close footsteps startled her awake, "no, please!" she yelled, covering herself. She was knocked out so suddenly that she was still in fear upon waking.

"Ayda, it's okay, you're safe now," a familiar voice reassured her. That smooth, deep voice filled her ears, making her calm down. She looked at him. Was she dreaming? Tears filled her eyes as she replayed the events in her head.

He stood, watching her. His expression was different now. Something she had never seen, or thought she would see. Something she doesn't think anyone has ever seen before. Concern.

Or maybe it was just pity.

"Eric..." her voice sounded so small. "Where am I?" she asked, noticing she was in a room that she'd never been in. It was small, solitary. Unlike where she sleeps. She was also in a large bed with dark grey sheets and a black comforter.

"You're in my living quarters," he explained. She wiped her eyes, and tried to sit up, her head filling with immense pain.

"You should rest," he said.

"How long have I been out?" that cliche question escaping her mouth.

"All night. It's morning now," he told her. Hearing this, she jumped up, forgetting the pain that enveloped her, "morning? I need to get to training!"

Eric came over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, lightly pushing her back. "You're on medical rest. Don't worry about your training, you're already ahead of everyone." She gave in, allowing herself to relax. "W-Well what about you? Aren't you supposed to be with everyone?"

"Four's handling it."

It still didn't make complete sense to her. She swallowed, trying to gather herself. She felt minuscule. Violated. She felt embarrassed, as stupid as that sounds. She kicked herself mentally, scolding herself. Why couldn't she handle it? Why couldn't she stop it?

Tears began to run down her cheeks, stopping momentarily on her chin and dripping to her chest. She swallowed, wiping the tears, trying to be strong. She didn't want to appear weak in front of Eric.

"You don't have to pretend that you're alright," Eric said.

"I'm _not_ pretending. I'm fine," her voice cracked. The more she lied about being fine, the harder it was to hold back the pain.

"I'll let you be alone," Eric began walking into the next room. "Wait!" she called to him. He stopped, turning to look at her. "I-" she was about to stop herself, remembering that she didn't want to look weak. "I don't want to be alone," she went against it. The thought of being alone terrified her, and as hard as Eric appeared to be, she felt safe around him.

For a moment he seemed confused. He took a chair that was across the room and brought it closer to the bed, sitting on it. Ayda's heart beat faster, becoming nervous again.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she looked down at her hand, picking at her nails nervously, avoiding eye contact.

"You needed help," he answered. She looked at him and nodded, not saying anything. She wasn't satisfied with that answer, but what did she expect him to say?

"Oh," she slowly sat up, moaning as the blood rushed to her face. "Thank you," she said softly. He looked at her face and suddenly got up, walking out. She wasn't sure why he left the room without saying a word.

He came back quickly, holding a damp rag, an ice pack, and a few band-aids. He came towards her, placing the band-aids on the bed space next to her.

"You're bleeding," he said. "I'm just going to," he lifted his hand and gently held her face while he wiped the blood. Her heart raced and she didn't realize that she was biting her lip. He was soft with his hands, something she didn't expect. She looked at his face as he grabbed the band-aids and unwrapped them. She observed how serious he looked about what he was doing. He looked like he cared.

He moved a few strands of hair away from her face and lightly placed the band-aids on the wound that was bleeding. He picked up the ice pack and placed it on her face, "that's where the swelling is," he told her. She nodded, and lifted her hand to the ice pack. Her eyes widened as her hand went over his to take over holding it. He looked at her, keeping his hand there for a second before pulling it away.

"I'll be right back," he said as he walked out with the rag and garbage.

Ayda thought about what was happening. She smiled to herself as she held the ice pack to her swollen face.

Being around Eric had suppressed the bad event to an extent.

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	10. Suppressed

When Eric didn't return, Ayda got curious. She knew she should stay in bed, but she really didn't want to be alone. Even though this was probably the safest place you could be in.

She put the ice pack on the nightstand next to the bed and lifted herself to her feet. She felt lightheaded and dizzy for a moment but regained herself. She walked out of the room and was impressed with the size of his living quarters. He had a decently large apartment to himself. _I guess this is one of the perks of being a leader_ she thought to herself. It was an open concept, kitchen and living area separated by a difference in floor surface. The only areas that were closed off were his bedroom and bathroom.

She didn't see him anywhere, wondering where he could have gone in such an open area. "Eric?" she called out in a low voice, walking towards the entertainment set up. He had a large screen which hung from the wall, a glass coffee table with black legs and a dark grey couch. Eric didn't answer.

She touched the couch, sliding her hand on the material. It was soft and silky, practically calling her name. She sat down, sinking slightly into the soft cushion. It held her in a comfortable position- not too soft that she sunk deeply into the couch, but not too hard that it would make her butt go numb after a while.

She leaned back, resting her head, being consumed by relaxation.

"Making yourself comfortable, initiate?" she was startled by Eric's voice behind her, making her shoot up to explain.

"I was-I was just wondering where you went and...I..." a small smirk appeared on his face. Did she cause that? Was he smirking at _her_?

She didn't notice before, but he was in that black shirt. That damn black shirt. The one that _he_ made look good. She looked at him, checking him out from head to toe.

"Like what you see?" he asked, making her eyes widen. She needs to stop doing this.

"No. I mean, yes. I mean. I like your shirt. It's a nice shirt. You wear it.." she paused, looking away from him, knowing she sounds so stupid. "...well."

"I wear my shirt _ well_?" he repeated, knowing exactly how she felt. He wanted to tease her. He liked it. He didn't know why, but he liked that little stutter in her words and the way she couldn't make a coherent sentence when he made her nervous.

"Yes, you wear it well. That's what I just said," she began to calm herself. He gave her another smirk, to which she raised an eyebrow. "Ok, I'm convinced that I'm in a coma and dreaming because you definitely do not smile that many times in a minute, let alone a day."

"If you're so convinced that this is a dream then why are you dreaming of me?" again with that smirk. It was beginning to get to her, in a good way. She began to catch on to what he was doing.

"Good question. Probably because it's the only way I can kick your ass without becoming Factionless." Her smile faded when she thought of what happened to her. She suppresses it as best as she can, but it seems to come back to haunt her no matter what.

"What's wrong?" those words cutting into her like a knife, causing tears to form. She became hasty with her actions, scratching her head in a way that would hide her face. "Nothing. I just have a headache," she lied, quickly walking away and into his bathroom, "I have to use the bathroom." She shut the door behind her. Immediately she burst into tears, allowing her body to collapse to the floor.

Why didn't she stop them? Why did she give up so fast? The same questions running through her head on a loop. She didn't want this to be her weakness, but she couldn't help feeling scared and helpless.

She was startled by a knock on the door, "you alright in there?" she stood up, wiping her tears and pushing the subject deep inside again. She looked at herself in the mirror, cringing at the sight of her face. It was swollen, scabbed and black and blue. She was also in her own clothes. When exactly did that happen? She shook her head and turned to the door, twisting the knob and pulling.

"I'm fine," she said as she walked out. He didn't say anything and just looked at her.

"You don't need to act tough, Ayda." He called her by her name instead of Initiate.

"I'm not. I said I'm fine," she lied.

"You must think I'm an idiot if you expect me to believe that," he began. "You haven't said one thing about it. You didn't ask any questions and you're acting as if it never even happened."

He was right and it made her mad. "Thank you for letting me stay." She walked toward the door to leave and he instinctively grabbed her arm, "don't go." The action scared her, making her shove his hand off of her arm. "Don't touch me." She walked out of the door and slammed it, running down the hall, trying to find her way back to the dormitory.

She was absolutely terrified to go back, not wanting to see the guys who hurt her, but at the same time she didn't want to be weak and pitied.

She found her way to the dormitory, after running in what seemed like circles for a good ten minutes. She went straight to her bed, searching for the necklace her mother gave her. She patted in panic all over the bed when it was nowhere to be found. She felt her neck, maybe she had it the whole time. Nothing. "Fuck!" she yelled. She didn't care who heard. Her days as Dauntless were turning into a nightmare.

She sat down after feeling dizzy again. No one was around. Everyone was doing their training. She thought about how she left Eric like that. _Maybe I should go back_ she thought. _I can't. _she hated herself for running off like that.

Bending forward, she grabbed her boots and slipped them on. She tied the laces carelessly and stood up. She walked to the dining hall, hoping to meet up with everyone else. No one was there, so she sat at a table by herself. There was food served on all of the tables, so she guessed the initiates would be around soon.

She shut her eyes, not realizing she was tired until she was woken up by a familiar voice calling her name.

"Ayda, where have you been? I haven't seen you in a while," the empty space beside her was now filled.

"Vanessa," Ayda smiled. "I know, I've been busy training and," she paused.

"And? What happened to your face?" Vanessa questioned.

"Just training," she said. She wasn't ready for anyone to know what happened. She didn't even want Eric to know, but he practically rescued her. She smiled, looking at the table.

"What? Did you get through to that cold heart of Eric's, or something?" Vanessa noticed Ayda's smile. _How the Hell does she always know?_ Ayda questioned. "No, not exactly." If she told her about her time with Eric, she would have to explain everything else.

"Your face looks like you took a beating."

"Yeah, that's what happens when you're put in the ring with someone twice your size," she lied, "I'm fine though."

"I wouldn't doubt that," Vanessa smiled, "you're tough."

Ayda smiled, "thanks."

"Hey, what do you know about that initiate who's being held by the Dauntless leaders?" Vanessa asked, grabbing food. Ayda nearly choked on air. "What? I- I have no idea. I'm surprised that I didn't hear anything." She stood up, ready to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to ice my face, I'll see you around," she quickly walked away and out of the dining hall. She wanted to avoid any and all confrontation, but it was nearly impossible to do that here.

She walked around, searching random halls, walking up stairs and going through doors until she found one that led her outside. It wasn't exactly a rooftop, but it was close enough. You could see the entire city. It was beautiful. The sun was high up in the sky, the light reflecting off of windows. The sky was a bright and clear blue, not a cloud in the sky. Although most of the buildings were beaten up from the war, it didn't lack in beauty.

Ayda took in a deep breath of air and exhaled slowly, watching a flock of birds fly in sync with one another. She walked up to a railing and sat, letting her legs dangle and rested her head on the rusted metal bar, just looking at everything in her view.

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**Sorry that this chapter took a little while to post. I was writing with my tablet for a bit, but I prefer to use a laptop, which I didn't have access to due to charging issues. But, I'm on the laptop now and hopefully it will continue to cooperate with me so I can put up chapters at decent times. I also might slow it down a bit until Insurgent comes out because I'm not sure exactly how I want to go about with the rest of the story just yet. As you can see, I am following the Divergent plot, but I'm unsure if I want to follow it through into Insurgent before I break off into my own direction. Eh, no worries, you will all see soon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Follow/ favorite if you'd like. Reviews make me happy and make me put up new chapters faster (even if I said I want to go slow, I probably won't be able to resist).**


	11. Apology

"Enjoying the view?" Ayda turned to the voice.

"Four," she said, a bit confused as to how he found her, if he was even looking for her. He walked closer, taking the spot next to her.

"I come up here when I want to think. It was only a matter of time until someone else had the same idea," he laughed. Ayda smiled, "yeah, I was just looking around and when I opened that door, it led to this. Best spot in Dauntless." She looked towards the buildings, wondering what was going on inside each of them.

She looked to a ferris wheel. It was old, rusted, abandoned. She imagined what it was like back when it worked, going on the ride, having fun.

"That's where we are going to be training soon," Four added, noticing where Ayda's eyes were. He seemed interested in her, looking at her every now and again to see where she was staring.

"I know what happened. What Peter did to you was wrong," Ayda's attention was now on him, her eyes in a rage.

"Does everyone know?" she asked, shaking her head.

"No, just the other leaders. They're debating whether or not to kick him out of Dauntless," Four mentioned.

"Don't. Don't kick him out," an idea grew in her head.

"After what he did to you, you want him to continue to live around you?" Four was confused by her reaction.

"I want to fight him," Ayda looked at Four, her face had 'serious' written all over it. "Please. Set us up to fight in the ring." To think of what happened still made her scared and uneasy, but she wanted to face the fear. She wasn't going to let it win no matter how much it hurt.

"Only if it's what you really want," he said.

"It really is." She looked back at the city in front of her, no emotion on her face.

"Okay, I'll let them know that that's what you want," Four replied.

"Thank you," she said as she moved to get up. She sighed, standing up and wiping herself off. "I'm going to go back, I have something I need to take care of." Four nodded and cracked a small smile. She turned and went back inside, looking around so she could remember where the door was.

* * *

Ayda walked slowly towards Eric's door. She wanted to apologize for up and leaving after all he did for her. She hesitated, just staring at the door, looking at the intricate details of the wood grain. She swallowed, raising her hand to knock when the door opened. Eric stopped, confused by her presence. Ayda moved so he can come out. He did just that, but began to walk passed her.

"Eric?" she followed him, trying to get his attention.

"Not now, initiate," he said, not stopping. It was almost a slap in the face to hear him speak like that to her again after making progress. His face was cold and he didn't look at her once as he walked away.

"Can you just stop for a minute?" she grew frustrated. He stopped, Ayda bumping lightly into his arm.

"Make it fast," he turned to her, the look on his face not changing the slightest bit.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for leaving like that earlier," she began. He didn't say a word but looked at her like he had better things to do.

"Is that all?" he asked, beginning to walk away. For some reason, him acting this way hit her hard. She was upset by it.

She stood, watching their distance grow with each passing second, almost letting him go. "Eric!" she yelled down the hall before he could turn the corner. Her voice echoed from her end to his and to her surprise, he stopped. He didn't turn, but stood there. She ran to him and stepped in front of him.

"Please don't do this," she begged, "please don't treat me like this again." She felt like she was about to cry, mustering up what she was about to say.

"I was scared, I still am. I didn't want you to see that. I didn't want you to know I had a weakness; I didn't want to admit to _myself_ that I had a weakness, so how can I admit it to you?" he didn't try to walk around, so she took it as a good thing. Her eyes welled up, making them appear glossy and bloodshot. "I'm terrified," she looked at him. He looked at her, eyebrows furrowed. "Why?" he asked, voice calm, eyes still looking into hers.

"If it happens again.." she looked down, out of his gaze. It gave her that nervous feeling she always gets from him.

"It won't happen again," he stated surely.

"How do you know?" she returned her eyes to his. "I won't let it." Her heart skipped a beat when he said that, licking the dryness of her bottom lip nervously. She gasped when she felt his hand on her face, lightly touching the bruise and wiping the wetness on her cheek from a tear she didn't realize fell from her eye. He let his fingers sit on her cheek, a look of hunger in his eyes. Her heart beat faster and heat rose to her head as she stared at him. He inched his face towards her own, getting so close that she could feel his hot breath on her lips. He dropped his hand and rose his head again, "I have somewhere to be."

She swallowed, not sure what just happened, or why. She blinked, confused and slightly disappointed. "Uh," was all she managed to get out, unable to form a word. She heard footsteps behind her and someone passed the two by. Now it made sense to her.

"Alright then," she swallowed again, feeling awkward. "I," she looked around, "don't want to hold you up," making a clicking sound with her mouth. She avoided contact with his eyes, wanting to just end this interaction now. He didn't say anything, just stood there. She looked at him one last time and started to walk backwards, "maybe we'll talk later." She turned around and began to walk back to the dormitory.

She lowered her head, biting her lip and closing her eyes. He didn't even try and stop her. She didn't know whether to be upset or mad. Why be either of them? If he didn't care, why should she? She shook her head, stopping when she was far enough away and out of his sight. She sighed, putting her hand to her head and weaving her fingers through her hair, pulling at the ends in frustration before letting the strands fall to her face.

"Ayda," his voice came from behind her. She turned around, surprised. She opened her mouth to say something but before anything came out he put his hand behind her back, pulling her closer. His warm lips met hers unexpectedly, leaving her stiff for a moment. After she processed what was happening, her tension lightened, her lips loosening, giving in to his. She allowed the kiss to deepen, raising on the tips of her toes, grabbing the back of his head. He was hungry, like a dog that had been chained up in front of a bowl of meat that was out of his reach until he broke free, devouring it. She was more hesitant, many thoughts dancing in the back of her mind. Fear.

She pulled away, breathing heavily and looking at him. She licked her lips of his remaining kiss, in ecstasy but at the same time on edge. She wanted him, she knew she did, but something held her back.

"Eric," she looked at him. He took his hand from behind her back and they let space come between them. He looked at her as though he did something wrong, like he broke a rule and regretted it. "You should ice your face," he said, looking at her before walking away.

She watched him until she couldn't see him any longer. She swallowed, tears forming. She wished he had just let her walk away.

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**I want to thank Disneyfan259 in particular for such an amazing review! Wow, I am utterly flattered! Thank you so much! I hope I don't disappoint. Thank you to everyone else for following and for the favorites, the lovely reviews! They keep me motivated. Let me know what you all think, reviews make me post new chapters faster. Follow/ favorite if you'd like.**


	12. Fight

That night Ayda couldn't stop thinking. She tossed and turned in her bed, wondering why she had to like Eric of all people. There was something about him, something unpredictable and wrong but at the same time those are the very things that make her attracted to him. If she's lets herself continue down that path, she will get lost. She can't see clearly an outcome.

There's a little part of her that wants to get lost.

The next day she involved herself in training, knowing it was the day she would be face to face with that asshole, Peter. It would be a fair fight and even if she doesn't make it out, she will have faced the fear.

Everyone got ready and headed to the arena to train. Four and Eric stood, watching as everyone crowded in and took their spot, beginning to practice moves, increasing stamina by running, or building strength by hitting a bag. Ayda chose to hit the bag, her knuckles still sore from the last time she hit it.

Eric moved to the ring, getting everyone's attention, "First fight, Peter versus-"

"Ayda," Four added before Eric could choose. He looked at Four with shocked eyes and brows furrowed. Before he could say anything Ayda jumped in the ring and eyed her opponent as he stepped in. She felt a bit uneasy, already bruised up by him. Being hit too much again could be dangerous.

"You look like you're gonna cry. I'll take it easy on ya if you're gonna cry," Peter mocked.

"Is that what you want me to do when I make _you_ cry?" she spat, raising her arms. He made an "ooo" with his mouth and got ready as well.

"Would be a shame to ruin the rest of your face," Peter smirked as he came closer to her.

"I'd say the same, but your face is already ruined. I'd probably be doing you a favor," she said as she lunged towards him with her fist. He blocked her, pushing her full force backwards. She fell to the ground, grunting as she hit it. She stood up, looking at him with rage. She went in for another punch but he pushed her arm out of the way and punched her, making her fall to the ground again. Her old wounds started to bleed, she wiped the blood with her hand and got back to her feet.

"You're a tough one, aren't you? You must've liked what I did to you," he stood, letting her come to him, knowing her anger was getting the better of her. She tried to kick him, getting her foot grabbed and pulled on her back, her head hitting hard on the ground, a white light flashing. She felt like a flash grenade went off right near her ears, moaning and grabbing her head in pain.

"I really like your tattoo. I got a good look at it," he continued to mock her.

Eric watched with his foot tapping, clearly bothered by something.

She stood up, groggy and nearly stumbling over herself. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Peter pulled something out of his pocket and dangled it in her view, "missing something?" She watched her necklace swing back and forth in his hand. Her blood boiled, a blank expression across her face. She walked up to him, avoiding the swing of his fist and getting him in the face. She didn't stop punching until he fell to the ground. She stepped on his hands with her boots and sat on top of him, punching him more in the face until he was a bloody mess. She stopped, and felt dizzy, falling over to the side of him and passing out.

_"It was stupid to let her go in there with him."_

_"Why? Our Faction is about bravery. She held her own."_

_"At the end, when she was nearly knocked out."_

_"Why do you even care?"_

* * *

Ayda's eyes fluttered open. She was in an unfamiliar room, in a bed with a red blanket over her. She looked around, noticing beds on either side of her. One had someone in it, sleeping. There were curtains separating the beds, and there was a nurse's station. She realized she was in the medical room.

When she lifted, pain shot to her head. She grabbed it, letting out a breathy moan. She folded the blanket over and flung her legs over the edge of the bed. She saw her boots and put them on, getting up and walking towards the exit.

"Ma'am, you can't leave, you're on bed rest," a nurse said to her. She looked at her, "not anymore," and left. She began to run, pain shooting through her face. She stopped someone in the hall and asked them where the initiates were training, getting a response and running faster. She had to catch the train before it passed by.

It was dark out, and she wondered how long she was out for.

She saw the group jumping on and hurried to it, nearly missing it. She was next to it, Four watching her in shock. She jumped onto the train and entered, catching her breath. Eric pushed through everyone once he noticed she was on, "who let you out?"

"No one. I just left," Ayda looked at him, wondering why he was so concerned. He clenched his jaw and walks to Four who is unraveling a bag. "The game's simple. It's like capture the flag," Four explained as Eric pulled out a thin red and black gun. He held it up, "weapon of choice."

"Call that a gun?" the girl who Ayda fought first said. Eric fired at her leg, causing her to fall to the ground in pain. He approached her and pulled the bullet out, holding it up to show everyone. "Neurostim dart. Simulates the pain of a real gun, and only lasts a couple of minutes."

"Two teams! Four and I are captains. You pick first, Four." Four smiled, looking around. He already knew who he was going to pick, he just wanted the anticipation to rise in everyone. "Ayda," hearing the name, Eric gave him a look. Ayda smirked, walking to Four and eyeing Eric. She didn't mind going against him. In fact, she wanted to get a shot at him. Maybe two, or three.

After they both picked their teams, the train neared their destination and everyone began to jump. When everyone was out of the train, they split up into their groups.

"Watch yourself out there," Ayda smirked to Eric as she passed him by, raising up her gun and shaking it. He glared at her, not saying anything is response.

They were at the ferris wheel that Four told Ayda they'd be training at soon. It was an entire amusement park that was abandoned. Luckily, her team was on the ferris wheel side and she could take advantage of it.

Everyone was discussing tactics and plans, but she was too focused on ferris wheel. She left the group and walked towards the giant structure, staring in amazement. She put her hand to the rusted metal and got an idea to climb it. Back when she was in Erudite she would climb all the time, this should be easy for her. Not only that, but there was a ladder that would get her up there easily.

She began climbing the ladder when she heard someone walking.

"What are you doing?" it was Four.

"I'm just, you know, climbing. If I can get up there, it'll give us an advantage," she said, continuing up.

"I can't let you go up there alone," Four said as he followed her.

"I'm not going to fall," she laughed, "I'm basically a pro."

"Yeah, well, I don't want it on my conscience," he said. As she continued to climb, one of the rungs broke, making her slip down. Four held onto her, helping her back up. "A pro, huh?"

She rolled her eyes at his comment, ignoring it. Eventually, the ladder stopped and there was no easy way to get up.

"This is high enough, isn't it?" he asked, his voice wavering.

"What are you, scared?" she joked. He didn't answer. "Wow, I had no idea of all things, that heights would be your fear," she giggled.

She began to grab onto any metal bar in her reach, pulling herself up. "You don't have to come up all the way," she said. He ignored what she said, following behind, even if he didn't really want to be up there.

Eventually they made it to the top, both in front of each other. She looked at the view and smiled, "look." She nodded her head towards a bright light across the park. It was Eric's team flag.

"Too easy," she shook her head. Four didn't seem to agree but smiled at her bravery.

"You're crazy," he told her.

"Thanks," she said sarcastically, laughing.

"It was a compliment," he looked at her. They were close together, high up and alone. Four wouldn't stop staring at her.

"I figure we go in guns blazing and I can sneak through and get the flag," she suggested, breaking their silence.

"Eric won't let you through that easily," Four said.

"I'll take care of him," she smiled as she started to go back down.

They made it to the bottom and told their group the plan. They silently walked closer to Eric's side until they saw a few of his team members guarding the area. They took them out, triggering the rest of his team to come. Her team went in and fired as she stayed low and out of sight. She moved swiftly from corner to corner until she came close to the building where the flag was located. She saw Eric waiting and she smirked. She got low and aimed at him, waiting for just the right moment to shoot him in the leg. She counted to three and pulled the trigger, watching as he fell to the ground in pain. She ran passed him, shooting him again in the arm, "told you to watch yourself."

She climbed a ladder, and was greeted by the girl she fought. She was guarding the flag and was trigger happy, shooting at Ayda until she had no more bullets left. She decided to try and fight Ayda, but she dodged her hits and shot her in the leg. She grabbed the flag and waved it in the air, "captured the flag, suckers!" she yelled to Eric and his team as her's cheered for her.

She walked down, meeting up with her team who patted her on the back and told her she did a good job. One came up to her and told her that she should come hang out and take a shortcut back. Apparently it was an initiation ritual, Dauntless style. She kindly refused, following Eric and Four.

She smiled to herself, forgetting all about her pain and messed up face.

* * *

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	13. Bliss

"Ayda," Four called out, turning around to face her. She acknowledged him with a look, waiting for what he had to say.

"You did great," he complimented, "as usual." She smiled, "thank you. I don't know how usual it is, though." They walked next to one another, Eric ahead a few feet.

"You know you overachieve at every training obstacle," he said. She laughed, "it just happens, I can't help it."

"You don't have to help it," he laughed. He grew silent for a moment, "if you want to maybe hang out," Ayda's smile faded as he spoke, "we can go to my living quarters." She wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't who she wanted to be with.

She bit her lip, "I-I'm kind of worn out."

"I understand," he said, clearly hurt. He didn't say anything else to her as they walked inside and parted way. Their living quarters and her dormitory were in different directions, and she hadn't said anything to Eric the entire time they were walking.

She found herself alone in the dormitory again. This time she was more aware of her surroundings, constantly on guard. She went to her bed and got some clothes out. She felt a presence in the room and turned around swiftly.

"It's just me."

"Eric?" she relaxed but was surprised he was there. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled something out that she nearly forgot about. Her eyes widened as he extended his hand towards her. She grabbed onto it and looked at it with a big smile on her face. Her necklace.

"I thought you might want that back," Eric said to her. She chuckled, "so you do have a heart?" She pulled the chain around her head and held it close to her. She never wanted to take it off again, or so God help the next person who touches it. "Thank you." He nodded, turning to walk away.

"Wait, where are you going?" she asked. He shrugged slightly, "to sleep." He made things so difficult for her, even if he didn't do much. That was the exact problem. He was so simple with his words that it made things harder for her.

"You should do the same. You look-"

"Bad. Yeah, I know. But I feel fine. I don't need to rest. In fact, I-I have a lot of energy left," for some reason she rambled on about nothing important. He was staring at her in a way that suddenly made her nerves dance. "What would you do if I kissed you?" she asked out of nowhere, "would you walk away again?" She was annoyed by that night. It confused her and she didn't like being confused.

"I don't know. Why don't you find out?" her heart raced as he said that. She walked up to him until she was just inches away. She leaned up on her toes and put her lips on his, giving him a soft kiss. She pulled away and looked at him. He put his arm around her back and pulled her in, kissing her deeply. She nearly melted in his arms. His warm lips were so soft, in no way did they match his personality.

She put her hand on his head, pulling him closer into her. For a moment she was lost in bliss and didn't want to be found. He reached his other hand to her breast and rubbed it over her shirt, making her want him more. He went under her shirt and felt her silky skin. She pulled away, "not yet." She didn't know what it was, but she had a sudden fear. He took his hand out from under her shirt and nodded his head. "Okay," he said as she stepped back.

"I'm sorry, I'm just-" she looked at him, "I'm just not ready for this. Especially not right here."

"I should go," he said.

"Right, okay," she felt horrible. She watched him walk away. She sighed to herself, combing her fingers through her hair.

* * *

Ayda tossed and turned in bed until she decided she was done trying to sleep. She was aggravated at the attempt. She felt exhausted and just wished she could fall asleep for once in her life. She got up and out of bed, walking out of the dormitory. She walked around for a bit, subconsciously leading herself somewhere familiar.

She walked by Eric's door, stopping in front of it. "This is stupid," she said as she knocked. She knocked lightly and didn't expect an answer, but the door opened. A sleepy looking Eric stood in the doorway. She regretted it at that moment.

"Is there a reason you're knocking on my door right now?" he asked, a pissed off tone to his voice.

"I can't say it's a good reason," she looked at him. He gave her a look that said 'spit it out then.'

"I can't sleep."

"You can't _sleep_." He repeated.

"Yeah, well, I didn't plan on knocking at your door. It just happened. I was doing the usual and somehow ended up over here and thought, 'hey, maybe he's awake," she explained.

"Is that so?" he stood, arms crossed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. This was stupid. I'm gonna go back," she said as she began to walk away.

"Do you want to come in?" he asked, making her stop in her tracks.

"I don't want to bother you."

"You won't," he stepped back, allowing room for her to come in. She hesitated, looking inside. She's been in there before, knew what it looked like, yet felt nervous to enter, like it was her first time. She swallowed, walking slowly passed him and inside. She followed him to his couch and sat down, a foot apart from him. It was quiet for a while, the air felt tense between them.

"So," she began, "I don't think I properly thanked you for helping me out that night. I left here mad, but I am really grateful for what you did," she didn't know what else to say. "And, thank you for letting me come in. I know I woke you. I feel horrible about it."

"You can take the bed," he offered. She didn't mention staying, but she already felt comfortable in his presence.

"No, no, no, I'm fine here." The last thing she wanted was to take over his place after knocking on his door in the middle of the night. He got up and walked into his room and came out with a blanket and pillow for her.

"Goodnight," he said as he walked towards his room. She wanted to call him back to stay with her, but she didn't allow herself to do it.

She got comfortable on the couch, snuggling up to the pillow and looked at the ground. She felt her body relax with each passing second but it wasn't enough for her to fall asleep. She sighed, sitting up. She swung her legs over to the floor and stood up. She walked quietly towards the bedroom and looked inside. It was dark but she could see Eric's form in the bed. She smiled, biting her lip as she walked closer to him.

"Eric?" she whispered. She heard shuffling, "what now?" he asked.

"Can I sleep with you?" her heart raced, she couldn't believe she just asked that. After pushing him away earlier, now she wants to sleep with him? He must think she's crazy.

He moved to the opposite side and pulled the blanket over so she could get in. She slid herself under and he pulled it over her. She looked at him in the dark, moving closer and putting her lips to his. He kissed her back, putting his arm around her. She pulled away and snuggled her head in his neck. She closed her eyes, feeling drowsy. She finally found what helped her fall asleep.

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**Wow, chapter 13 already. I feel like I wrote less than that haha. Hope you liked this chapter. It was kind of gushy. Sorry it took a while for me to post, I've been away from a computer for a while.**

** I want to thank you all for the follows and favorites, I'm amazed at the amount! And for those who review, you are all awesome! Keep it up! It motivates me a ton more to read that you all like the story. **

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter and follow/ favorite if you haven't already (:**


	14. Fear

Ayda woke the next morning, stretching out her arms and noticing the empty space beside her. Did she really sleep that deeply? She laid still for a moment, remembering the night before. She was like a stupid roller coaster, having her ups and downs in a matter of minutes.

She sat up, removing the blanket and getting out of the bed. She walked out of the room to a shirtless Eric, who had two large dumbells in either hand. She watched as he brought one up to his chest, the muscles in his arm tightening. A glistening layer of sweat highlighted his contours, keeping her eye moving from one area of his body to the next.

He hadn't realized she came in, continuing to pump to the point where he had to give up. He dropped the weight to the floor, breathing heavily and wiping the dripping sweat from his forehead.

"So that's how you stay in shape? I was starting to think you naturally looked like that." He turned to her, his chest rising and falling rather fast. She bit her lip at the new angle in view, looking him up and down. He could easily take over her, or mostly anyone here for that matter.

"It's early, did I wake you?" he asked, grabbing a nearby hand towel and wiping his face.

"No, not at all," she wanted to blush. She didn't take him as the type to give a damn about waking her. She didn't realize how early it actually was. Initiates wouldn't be woken up for at least another two hours.

"Do you do this every morning?" she questioned.

"Most mornings. Today I have the day off, though. Four is doing one-on-one Fear Simulations with each of you," he mentioned.

"Fear...simulations?" the name alone brought fear.

"To be Dauntless is to be brave. To be brave is to conquer your fears," he explained. She swallowed, not sure what to think.

"I don't have very big fears," she said, trying to think of them off the top of her head.

"You'll be surprised."

"What about you?" she smirked, "what were your fears?'. He let the towel sit around his neck and walked by her, "you'll never find out." He entered the bathroom and turned to her, "you should probably go."

Ayda was taken aback by his tone. Why was he so cold towards her again? Maybe she was just overreacting. She shook her head and gathered herself before listening to him.

What was it that she expected from him? Eric is Eric. He isn't _boyfriend_ material. He's just...Eric.

* * *

Later that day Ayda waited patiently for her turn doing the simulation. It made her nervous, watching each initiate come out in tears. Guys you wouldn't think could cry were turned to mush.

Everyone sat next to one another, quietly waiting their turn. Everyone was too nervous to make conversation, and wanted to see the results of the person ahead of them.

"Ayda King," Four called out. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard her name. She rose, walking slowly to the room he stood in. He shut the door behind them and proceeded to get things set up. As if it wasn't awkward enough being in the room with Four alone, he too was giving her the cold treatment.

The room had a familiar feel to it. Small, just a chair in the center.

"What's that?" she asked, nodding towards the syringe he picked up. It had a liquid inside and a long needle.

"It's a serum. It stimulates the part of the brain that processes fear," he explained. "I'll be able to see inside your mind," he pointed to the small monitor next to him.

She sighed, "let's just get this over with." She sat in the chair, taking a deep breath as he came closer to her. The needle inched towards her neck until the sharp tip poked the surface of her skin. It nipped her, but overall it felt more like applied pressure than pain.

The serum had an immediate effect, making her feel relaxed.

"Close your eyes and breathe slowly," Four's voice already sounded distant, but she listened anyway.

_She was in a familiar room. She looked around, realizing she was in a bed._

_"Eric?" she called out. No answer._

_It was silent. Truly silent. _

_She got up from the bed, only in her underwear. She looked around for clothes, but there was nothing around. She crossed her arms in attempt to cover up while she walked out of the room._

_"Hey Ayda," Peter smirked. She looked at him in confusion._

_"Why are you here? Where's Eric?" she questioned._

_"He's here. He let me in. He said whatever I did to you, I should do it again." Peter stood, walking towards her. She tried to back away but hit into a wall. She swallowed hard, but something inside her mind clicked._

_She swung at his face, hitting him and sending him back enough to get by. He stuck his foot out and she fell to the ground. When she looked up, Eric stood with his hand out. "Need a hand?"_

_She went for it but he took it back, smirking and shaking his head. "If you can't help yourself off the floor, how do expect to make it in Dauntless?"_

_"Why are you doing this?" she became angry, wiping herself off as she stood up. "Why do you do this constant back and forth shit?" she raised her voice. _

_"Why do you care?" he asked. She didn't know how to answer. She blinked, as soon as she closed her eyes she was somewhere new. She was back at the Choosing Ceremony, face to face with each Faction's bowl._

_She slit her hand, allowing a drop of blood to fall into Dauntless. She blinked, and it was Abnegation. Everytime she closed her eyes, she was choosing another Faction until it stopped at Dauntless. She looked up from the bowl to see Tori shaking her head. _

_"I belong here," Ayda mouthed. "I belong here!" _

Ayda woke, heart racing out of her chest. Four looked at her, questioning her inside his head.

She swallowed. "What?"

"You made it out of every obstacle. Quickly, efficiently.."

"Are you sure?" she asked, pretending like she had no idea.

"I know what I saw," he seemed mad. Or concerned.

She got up from the chair, reaching for the doorknob.

"Ayda," he called, more sternly. She looked, swallowing.

"I won't say anything," he said. She shook her head, "I-I don't know what you're talking about." She opened the door, everyone's eyes on her. They watched in confusion, wondering why she didn't come out in tears. She walked at a fast pace to get away, heading back to the dormitory.

She was at a loss.

* * *

**Hi everyone, I just wanted to apologize for the long, long wait. I'm hoping to start back up again, although I won't be able to post as often as I like with my work schedule. I hope you like this chapter and bare with me on this one. Thanks to everyone following and favoriting still and to anyone who's been here since chapter 1. Let me know what you thought. Leave a review (:**


	15. A Note to the Fans

Hey everyone,

I'm sorry if you enjoyed this story and wondered why I haven't updated. It could be one of two reasons - I lost interest (most likely) or I am still interested but haven't been able to focus on this story. But for both of those reasons, I'm letting you know that for now I am finished. There is still a chance that I come back later on to update, which is why I am not deleting it. But for now, I don't want to keep anyone hanging. I am really sorry about that!

I've really appreciated the support, so thank you :)


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